Discovery Village has been absolutely wonderful for our girls. From the warm greetings every…read moremorning by Stephanie, Yasmill, and Krystallyn at the front office, to the kindness and dedication of their teachers throughout the day, we've felt genuinely supported and cared for. They truly live by the saying "it takes a village"--actively involving parents and creating a real sense of community and family. The only reason we're leaving is due to a major change for our family, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Discovery Village to all of our friends and family.

This is both a genuine reflection of the services we have received from Discovery Village and a…read morefull-throated rebuke of a recent 1-star review by a clearly ill-intentioned person. Since enrolling our son in July 2019, we have been provided nothing short of high quality child care by a supportive, compassionate, and safety-minded staff and leadership team. We were present during the transition to the current web/app-based communication and documentation tool. It has provided us with a more than adequate level of security and connectivity with the daycare. Since the roll-out of the system last year, it was made clear that it was the parents' responsibility to check-in children on arrival. To think that a teacher should take the extra time - away from the other kids in class - to make up for your own irresponsible mismanagement of the platform is selfish and ridiculous. I, for one, am completely satisfied that the teachers prioritize direct care of the children over task-saturation within an online recording tool. The app-based tool has also provided parents with secure, direct access through a bluetooth-enabled unlocking system. Anyone that would consider providing access to this app to an unauthorized person is a security risk, and I think we are a safer community with this person gone. When I exit the facility, I either wait for someone entering to do so with their own access or I confirm with the staff at the front desk that the person belongs here before opening the door. I hope that everyone would challenge me in the same way when I enter! We are a community of families and should each have a vested interest in the safety of our children that supercedes an ease-of-access mindset. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis, the leadership at Discovery Village has been completely transparent about the challenges of both managing a business and meeting the demands of working parents in this environment. The center quickly adapted to the new normal by implementing more than the State-required sanitation protocols and providing regular updates to families. We suspended our enrollment in late March and returned to the village in May and have had ZERO complications. The idea that Discovery Village is, was, or has been lax about their cleaning and COVID protocol mandates is a baseless and belligerent accusation. This team is professional to the core! I would be remiss to not mention that our son absolutely loves his teachers at Discovery Village. He is happy as can be every day we pick him up and his learning and curiosity is clearly nurtured. I recommend this center to anyone looking for high quality care by a team that is genuinely invested in the well-being and development of your child. Thank you for all that you do.

We've had such a positive experience in our first year at Alcott Montessori. The teachers are…read morecaring and engaged, the structure provides a great balance of independence and routine, and communication with families is super consistent .

My daughter attended Alcott for ages 2-5. She is now a kindergartener, and we are so grateful for…read moreher experiences at Alcott. The teachers at Alcott are absolutely wonderful, and created an excellent introduction to school and learning. The program is Montessori and ages are mixed in 3-5s, which we loved, because the older children lead the younger children. My daughter learned more than her letters and numbers, she learned to be confident in her self, and kindness. Alcott prepared her for kindergarten, but also fostered curiosity and a love of learning. We plan on sending her younger sister when she is old enough.

I've sent both my kids through the 2's, 3's and 4's at Friends, and my son is "graduating" this…read moreyear. I'll be sad to not return next year. Our experience at Friends couldn't have been more wonderful. All of the teachers are kind, warm and nurturing. It's like handing your kids over to family. The 2's program is the perfect introduction to school for toddlers, the 3's is a great continuation of all the social and life skills being taught, and the 4's curriculum emphasizes preparing for kindergarten in an organic and age-appropriate way. In addition, because the school is so small, there's a real sense of community among the parents. We've made lifelong friends at Friends - the school really lives up to its name!

My kids were at a different preschool before Friends so I have something with which to compare it…read more This place is amazing. Kids go to kindergarten extremely prepared as well as cultured. The director of the preschool, Sue, is one of the kindest, gentlest, most education-savvy people I've ever met. She is very down to earth and reads academic articles about preschool education on a regular basis. The families who are a part of this school are wonderful. If you need extended day options, this school is not for you!

This is a review of their gym space and not for the whole center. The gym has multiple drawbacks…read morethe most important one being not having multiple machines for strength training. Last summer they changed vendors for the machine and since then they seem to break quite a lot, and the repairs take forever. For example, currently the leg machine has been out of order for three weeks. And the cable machine is broken every week. So during busy times I end up wasting 15 to 30 minutes waiting for equipment. In the summertime it can get very stuffy inside because they don't have adequate airflow or fans. I have made multiple suggestions in their suggestion box, but as of now seen no results. I am hoping they will be moved to action after reading this review. I give them one more month and after that, I'm switching to somewhere else.

What an amazing community asset this is. The exercise offerings are extensive. Plus book clubs…read moreand social groups and lectures are fascinating. I just love going there's. Staff is very helpful. It's a pain to have to sign up in advance for some classes but the place is very popular.

Earlier this year, I was given 1 week's notice that my son's franchised school would close. 1…read moreweek! I knew that the new school my son would attend had to be great, meet the needs of my son and our family, have a sense of community, be well - established with strong leadership, and a kind and supportive staff.....and they had to have availability immediately. KinderCare, Old Tappan, NJ to the rescue! I called KinderCare, Old Tappan, NJ, and spoke with the Director, Ms. Jessica Epstein. She understand the urgency of the situation, and scheduled a same - day, evening tour (7 PM) so my husband could attend too. My son's future Teacher, Ms. Amanda also stayed late for the tour. The tour was detailed, organized, and thorough. Every question I had, had a thoughtful (and transparent) answer. My son gravitated to Ms. Amanda like they were long - lost friends; followed her directions; cleaned up the toys he began playing with; and upon leaving, gave the Director, Ms. Epstein a long, warm hug. He didn't want to let go! KinderCare, Old Tappan, NJ was friendly, supportive, and warm. I emailed the enrollment forms that evening. YIPPEE my son had a school, and it was great! .....but, never one to shy away from doing my due diligence, I kept the 7 other school tours I had already scheduled. The other schools were good, had their strong points, but no other school was great. I undoubtedly chose the best school for my son. Here's why: PROS: -Open for 20 years -Open Monday - Friday, 6:30 AM - 6:30 PM -Accepts major credit cards (no Amex, or JBL) -40 Teachers, and Staffers who are enthusiastic, kind and loving -Meals and snacks included -CLEAN and BRIGHT -Large classrooms (aquatic life, dramatic play, sensory support, bathroom, sink, educational toys, and educational materials) -Outdoor playground, with many ride-ons -Indoor playground, with an open library -Daily Written Reports (paper copy with no photos) -Formal Parent Teacher Conferences, with a written assessment / report -Lots of school events for the student, and whole family -Easy and prompt communication by email, telephone, and in person -Good policy and staff for families that are married, separated, blended, culturally diverse, require supportive services, etc. CONS: -No Tadpoles -With Tadpoles, schools can email the Daily Written Report, along with DAILY PHOTOS parents can download for free -Photos emailed very infrequently -No computerized front door, or computerized attendance log -No Live Cam -Tuition billed weekly (vs. monthly), which costs more

I believe we started at KinderCare "KC" of Old Tappan "OT" in 2012. My son was a tiny tot and my…read moredaughter was 2.5 years old. She started at the French American Academy. The staff and families alike have been a great community for our family. It is 2017 and we continue to make KC part of our children's education. This Summer our 6.5 years old son is enjoying myself in the traveling camp which is offered for five years old children and up; every week is a different theme, they go on field trips, swimming at the Y, play at parks with burgers, Special guests Wednesdays and Splash days Fridays. I give KinderCare of Old Tappan 5 stars because of following facts: * Care - KC of OT strategically employ passionated, warm, energetic individuals whom take pride in teaching tomorrow's leaders. I'm humbly honored to have my child apart of this great team environment. * Educational Tools - From healthy cooking enrichment classes, to phonic reading, they provide a full array of enrichment learning during the summer months. *Management - Director over 16 years at KC Assistant Director over 10 years w/KC and Program Specialist 4 years at Old Tappan. * Nutrition - Lunchtime meals as well as snacks all offer nutritional value with eating habits we would want our children to all emulate at home. * Retention & Retainment of Teachers - Mainly all teachers are still there since we started OR helping and transferred to another KC Center closer to home. - A whole lot of fun huh! If only I was a kid again.

My five-year-old is finally moving on to kindergarten, so we want to share our fantastic experience…read morewith Little Village. We started when my son was 2 after we moved to Hastings from the city. Choosing a daycare was stressful, but our interaction with Ms. Jaggassar and the other parents she put us in touch with made us feel comfortable. Three years later, my son has graduated from in a nurturing environment that both helped him grow and made him enjoy each and every day. The most valuable thing about Little Village is the teachers. The infant room, the toddler room, and pre-school, we have had nothing but wonderful experiences with the teachers, who genuinely enjoy being around the children and bringing out the best in them. A special thank you to Elizabeth, Regina, Ruth, and Andy for watching my child and always keeping a smile on his face. He has thrived because of your care. And lastly, my sincere gratitude to Ms. Jaggassar, who is such a warm, personable, and thoughtful person. She has always done a fantastic job over the years running the daycare, and always gave us the time to talk about anything. She has a gift working with children, who adore her very much, and it is easy to see that she genuinely cares to provide the children with a positive experience. We would not hesitate to recommend Little Village daycare and would be happy to share more details about our three plus years of experience there to any parent that inquired.

Little Village Daycare provides outstanding childcare. My children benefited greatly from the…read moresupportive and educational atmosphere. The staff's attentiveness and nurturing nature is impressive, and the facilities are meticulously maintained and clean.

I had 2 kids in MCR, and both loved the school. Picking them up at the end of the day, I would hear…read morestories about all the exciting things they did: what they learned, what books they read, what song they practiced, what games they played outside with their friends, what art project they worked on after school and so forth. Our experienced teachers really knew kids' personalities, their likes an dislikes. They kept close track of their progress in each aspect of Montessori curriculum and customized learning for them when needed. The school is a very safe and nurturing place with talented staff (after-school program is one of the best I've seen) and rich traditions. By the way, their celebrations are simply amazing! They remain among our most precious memories from that time.

My son started going to Montessori Children's Room (MCR) at 19 months and we loved this school, and…read morehe seemed to as well. When he was about to turn three this past September, he moved into the 3, 4 and 5 year old class. That is when they noticed he had a hard time sitting still and focusing. He was about to age out of EI (Early Intervention) and start CPSE (Committee on Preschool Education), which would mean the therapists that were approved (Speech, SEIT and OT) could work with him in his classroom environment. However, MCR does NOT allow ANY therapists in this school to work with children who have been approved to receive it. So, we were left with no other choice, and had to scramble to find a new school in the middle of October of 2018. Not an easy task considering that most were already full by that point. Luckily we found a school that my son adores. It is a play based, loving and nurturing environment, that is so in tune with nature and outdoor play. I guess everything happens for a reason, and we were very fortunate to end up where we are now. MCR does wonderful things with the students, my son learned a lot in his time there. Their holiday show and graduation are amazing as well, along with their camp. That said, Montessori is not for every child, especially a child that requires therapy of any sort. What bothered me about our experience is how they didn't give me any feedback of his behavior in the baby class (NK) prior to moving up. We did have parent teacher conferences twice in the school year, but they never spoke about how he was disruptive, couldn't focus or sit still. Had I known this was going to be an issue, we could have looked for other schools before he started in the toddler class. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, as we felt forced out of there in a way. In closing, I debated on whether or not to write a review about my experience with this school. However, I recently learned the same thing is happening with another child there, so I wanted to give other parents a heads up before you consider going to this school.

Elizabeth Mascia Child Care Center is a local institution in Tarrytown, having served generations…read moreof children since 1969. It is a non-profit day care with classes starting at 1 year old. Frankly, I can't believe that I am the first reviewer because most parents in the area know and respect the program. My son has been in the toddler program for nearly a year now (started at 15 months). He absolutely loves going there every day and he learns new things every day. The caregivers are very attentive, caring and knowledgeable. They keep great records and can give me a full report at the end of the day. There are three rooms with 1 and 2 year olds (8, 8,16 kids) and each room has a consistent head teacher. There are two classes of older toddlers upstairs. Downstairs they have after school programs for older kids. The location in Tarrytown is really easy to reach from the NYS Thruway, Rt 9, Rt 119 but it is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood next to a firehouse (they've taken field trips there). The building used to be a grade school and it has two fenced playgrounds as well as ball fields for the older kids. I love that the kids go out every day, weather permitting. They open 7 am and last pick up is 6 pm. The kids get hot breakfast and lunch as well as an afternoon snack. They also nap on cots and do some potty training. Many of the children are bilingual and the staff is very familiar with bilingual language development. They are also very attentive to kids that need special help, support assessments and have therapists come in during the school day for kids that need it. Having him here has really put my mind at ease. We couldn't be happier with our choice.

Fantastic preschool!! I have sent my three daughters here and the teachers are fantastic they are…read moregreat about communicating with the parents. As a parent I feel completely welcome to drop in any time.The teachers are so loving and nurturing to the children that they grow and learn with ease. My girls went into Kinder so confident in them selves and their abilities. I knew every day when I dropped them off that it was going to be a great day for them. I will be forever grateful to The Rivertown Preschool for giving my children love, attention, knowledge and confidence.

It's a warm nurturing intimate program which is very flexible to meet the needs of all families. I…read morehighly recommend calling Melissa the director. She's top notch!

This preschool provides a happy, engaging place for the little ones to learn, play and grow. There…read moreis a wonderful focus on supporting each whole child and on building community with all the families. I couldn't recommend it more highly!